Understanding Me
by ValorOrgulloso
Summary: ABANDONED for now. Harry meets his counterpart. AU HPOC or HarryHarriet
1. Prologue

**Summary:** Sad and depressed about the prophecy and the death of Sirius, Harry wanders through the castle, stumbling upon a strange door which takes him to a place he never dreamed of. And he finds... herself? AU (literally)

**A/N:**I was bored today so I started making this story. Inspired by the fiction _Equal and Opposite_ by Amerision. Oh, and this is the prologue, so it's real short! I'll have the next chapter lots longer!

**Disclaimer:** Who owns it? Not me, for sure.

Harry traveled through the castle aimlessly, not looking where he was headed; he had been doing that a lot lately. With the recent death of Sirius Black and the prophecy hanging over his head, he didn't feel much like celebrating the end of the school year with everyone else. So, to cope with the enormous weight, he did not think about it; both the death of his godfather and the prophecy.

_Bang!_

Harry rubbed his head angrily as he looked up from his fallen position at an ancient double door with brass handles. It was… strange. It was not odd that the door was ancient, nor that the door had brass handles. That was very common at Hogwarts. No, what was odd about this particular door was that it had a small engraving on it in tight, loopy script. Harry stood up, his anger forgotten in his curiosity. He leaned over towards the door, squinting at the thin script. It was obviously not English, yet he understood what it said clearly.

_I can lead you to another self,_

_Give it time, till the twelfth._

"… till the twelfth?" Harry muttered, eyebrows furrowed. _The twelfth what?_

Straightening up, Harry reached to the door handle slowly, tentatively. Surely something would happen if he laid his hand on the old, magical…? He grasped the knob, clutching his eyes shut, waiting for the explosion. Nothing came. _Well that was climatic,_ Harry thought, relaxing. He opened the door, now confident nothing would happen by only opening it. Looking inside, he could see nothing but a bright light. Unsure of what was in this room, he hesitantly placed a foot inside and everything went dark.

**R E V I E W**


	2. A Different Place

"…know who he is?" came the voice of someone familiar, but Harry could not place a name or face to it. He opened his eyes blearily to find everything very white and very out of focus. He touched his face where his glasses should have been. Harry tried to sit up, but found that when he did, he became so dizzy that he had to lie back down.

The other occupants of the room noticed the soft thump and stopped chattering immediately to rush to his bedside. "He's awake!"

"Dear… dear, can you hear me?" a motherly voice asked him.

"Yes, but I can't see you," Harry said. He finally realized that the voice he was hearing belonged to Madam Pomfrey, the fussy, strict inhabitant of the school hospital.

"Oh, yes, of course…," He heard some rustling then his wire-rimmed glasses were shoved into his hand. Placing them carefully on his nose, he sat up more carefully, propped himself up on a few pillows, and looked around the school infirmary. Except for him, there was only one other student in the room; a red haired girl sleeping four beds over. The only other occupants were Madam Pomfrey, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall. They were all huddled around his bed. Something wasn't right.

He looked up at Dumbledore, confusion written across his face. "Sir, where are Ron and Hermione?" He knew that they, along with a few others from his Department of Mysteries escapade, were staying in the hospital wing.

"Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, they were in here. Were they released?" Harry felt a familiar feeling of frustration creeping up his throat. Why was Dumbledore acting like he didn't know what he was talking about?

"They have not been at this school since their second year."

"Wh- what?" Harry asked. He wasn't making any sense.

"They were unfortunately murdered in their second year," Dumbledore said somberly, though he still looked befuddled. Harry's heart stopped beating. _Murdered._ The word seemed to echo. It could not be true. Dumbledore was having him on. They had been with him since he first came to Hogwarts. Unless…

"The door!" Harry exclaimed, horrified. He had gone through that blasted door! It had led him here.

"Excuse me, Mr…?"

"Potter," Harry quipped.

Professor McGonagall's eyes widened behind her glasses and she exclaimed, "That's not possible, Albus!"

But Dumbledore had a thoughtful look on his face. "Well, we found him lying in the middle of the sixth floor corridor. We don't recognize him… the door… yes, yes it is quite plausible…" Dumbledore seemed to be speaking to himself more than anyone else in the room.

"Sir?" Harry asked, desperate to find out what had happened. They did not recognize him, yet he was the Boy-Who-Lived. It did not make any sense.

"I think, Mr. Potter, you have come from an alternate universe. Or, I suppose, you would call this universe an alternate universe," Dumbledore added thoughtfully.

"So, you mean… that… that the door I went through brought me from my world to… wherever this is?" Harry asked slowly. It made him worried. Very worried. How was he going to get back?

Dumbledore nodded and made a slight noise of agreement. "How am I going to get back, sir?" Harry asked.

"Well, you'll have to wait until the Door of Slytherin reappears," Dumbledore said casually.

_Door of Slytherin…_Harry thought. "Okay… so when is that?"

Dumbledore shrugged. "I do not know. The only time the Door of Slytherin appears is when a student is in need of guidance. The student will go through the door and reappear in whichever place will help them the most. Normally, when they go into this other universe, their other self in that universe is the one that helps them. When they have finished their business, the door will reappear."

Harry eyed him suspiciously, even though the thought of another him running around was kind of shocking. "How do you know all this, Professor?"

His eyes twinkled. "We all have our secrets, don't we, Mr. Potter?"

Harry nodded, thinking of the prophecy. "Alright, so, when can I meet myself?" He decided to get straight to business so he could get back to his world as quickly as possible. He did not particularly want to stay in a world where Ron and Hermione were dead.

Dumbledore's mouth twitched slightly at the question. It was a bit ridiculous to be asking about meeting yourself. "Well, it depends. We have to make sure you are the son of one Lily and James Potter." Harry nodded.

"I am."

"Well, then, shall we get to it?"

Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall helped Harry stand up; slowly, as to make sure he did not get dizzy and fall over.

Harry looked down at his hospital gown and asked, "Uhm… can I have some robes first?"

---

Harry was led up to the Gryffindor common room by Professor McGonagall. _Good,_ Harry though, _at least I'm in Gryffindor in this life, too_. They entered the common room to find it filled with students. Harry's heart jolted as he recognized a few. Angelina, Seamus, Colin…. But he didn't see himself, as ironic as that sounds.

"Stay here, please, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall told him as she went off to get his other self. He stood there for a few moments, noticing that he was starting to get funny looks. He looked at his shoes. It was easier than looking at all the faces that were there. _And aren't there,_ Harry added as he thought of Ron and Hermione. Well, he guessed would give himself an odd look, too, if two of him were wandering around the place. And, apparently, there were.

Harry looked around, hoping to see McGonagall returning. And, not a moment later, her tight, gray-black bun appeared from throughout the crowd. Someone was following her, but he could not see their face. His stomach squirmed in nerves. He felt foolish. He was nervous because he was meeting himself.

As soon as the duo got close enough to see clearly, Harry's stomach dropped. No, he was not nervous because he was meeting himself, he was nervous because he was meeting _herself._

**A/N:** Yes, I know it's short, and I meant to make it longer, but it was the perfect place to stop! I promise the next chapter will be longer.

**R E V I E W**


	3. Casperanda Potter

**A/N:**_ Sorry for the wait (even though it was a short wait considering this story is by _me_... the biggest procrastinator in history). I was at a place called hell. Or band camp; whichever you prefer. Enjoy!_

_---_

"H-hello," Harry managed to stutter as the duo stood in front of him. His lips could barely form the word; his tongue was like paper. His other self was… pretty. She had long, silky black hair and emerald eyes. His eyes landed on her forehead. She too had the infamous lightning scar on her forehead. She was marked. Just like him. Were her parents dead, also? Harry wondered.

His other self smiled at him, a little confused. Harry's heart skipped a beat. That smile reminded him so much of himself, but he thought it looked much better on her. It lit up her whole face. She looked up at McGonagall, wordlessly waiting for an explanation.

"I will explain it all when we get out into the corridor and away from the rest of the students," McGonagall spoke briskly, leading them out of the portrait hole and away from all of the prying eyes. Harry's other self cast him a curious look, but followed McGonagall. Harry returned the curious look.

When all three of them were assembled out into the hall, McGonagall started to introduce them. Harry could not take his eyes off his other self. She was different from him but the same all at once.

"Miss Potter, this is…" McGonagall faltered, and Harry realized he never told her his first name.

"Harry," he supplied helpfully. "I'm Harry."

"Yes and… Harry-" Harry knew she was avoiding saying his last name "-this is Casperanda Potter."

Casperanda held out a hand, her nose wrinkling in distaste at the use of her full name for a brief second, but she let it pass and smiled. Harry could not blame her for disliking her first name.

Harry grasped her offered hand firmly, and a wave of pleasant heat ran up his arm, sending shivers down his spine. She had felt it, too. He could tell even through her impassive, smiling face.

"You can call me Casper," Casper said softly. Her voice was like liquid silk. It sent a warm shiver through his chest and down to his toes. He smiled at her, unable to keep the stupid grin off his face.

McGonagall cleared her throat loudly, and Harry and Casper dropped hands quickly, snapping their heads towards McGonagall.

"I think I should tell under which circumstances _Harry_ arrived here in," McGonagall informed Casper.

"Oh?" she asked in that same, liquid voice.

"You see, Harry is not from around here. In fact, he showed up here earlier today in the sixth floor corridor. Apparently, he is from another universe," McGonagall explained.

"Another uni… are you sure, Professor?" asked a shocked Casper, looking at Harry with her intense eyes. She was no longer smiling, but rather looking at Harry with even more interest than she was before.

"Quite sure, Miss Potter," McGonagall reassured Casper.

"So why are you introducing him to me and not someone else?" Casper questioned. She kept on glancing in between Harry, who was staring at her with eyes that almost begged her to believe what the professor was telling her, and McGonagall, who looked stern but earnest in her information she was giving.

"I am introducing him to you because he came through the Door of Slytherin, which I have never heard of before today, but I'm assuming it's a hidden door somewhere in the castle that Salazar Slytherin created, and, according to Professor Dumbledore, when you come through the Door of Slytherin you end up in the universe in which your other self will help you the most."

"Other self," Casper repeated, eyes widening so much Harry could swear they were Dobby's. "You mean… he's…?" She looked at Harry, growing pale. Harry was worried. Would she accept him?

McGonagall nodded, "Yes, Mr. Harry Potter is you in another universe."

"I need to sit down," Casper whispered, leaning against the wall and sinking to the floor.

McGonagall gave them a mischievous grin, which was odd since Professor McGonagall was one of the strictest people Harry knew, and she walked off but not before saying, "Well, I will just leave you two to it."

As McGonagall walked off, Harry sat down beside Casper, looking at her from the corner of his left eye. He was glad to see some color returning to her face.

She sneaked glanced at him quickly but hurriedly looked away. Harry grinned as she turned her head away. She saw his grin and blushed prettily. Harry thought it was so strange. She was _him_. But, at the same time, she was completely different. He just could not get past the fact that herself or himself or whatever _she _was, was sitting here, with him. It seemed very rushed with all that had gone on lately… Sirius dead. Learning the prophecy. Voldemort. The Door of Slytherin. Alternate universe. Other self. Help. Casper…

Suddenly, Casper spoke up very quietly, hesitantly even, and asked, "So, you're me?"

Harry looked over at her from their position on the floor. He did not know if he were in her situation what he would do. Would he adjust to the thought of having someone from an alternate universe claiming to be them as quickly as she did? "Pretty much," Harry answered, staring at Casper stare at her bent knees.

Casper grinned shyly and looked up at Harry, revealing her white teeth. She had gotten over her shock fast. _Well_, Harry supposed,_ I am fairly decent at getting over shock. Maybe she's the same… _

"Pretty much?" she mocked his reply, though it was obvious that she was not meanly making fun of him.

Harry shrugged hopelessly, "I am a guy."

"And I am a girl," Casper admitted, laughter in her eyes.

Harry leaned sideways towards her a little, ramming into her shoulder slightly. Another wave of heat ran through them. "That you are." There was a brief silence. It was neither awkward nor strained; just there. _I mean, what do you say to your female counterpart after meeting her for the first time?_ Harry thought.

"So, how has your life been?" Casper inquired suddenly, breaking the silence. He thought of his parents' death, life at the Dursleys', his first five years at Hogwarts, Sirius's death, and the prophecy. Harry let out a bitter bark of laughter. "That bad, huh?" Casper asked with her sweet, languid voice. It soothed him and his thoughts. "Me, too."

Harry looked at Casper. Green met green. His stomach jolted. So much was in that face… He saw thinly veiled pain hidden under a mask on her face that Harry knew well, as he kept it on his own face, too. He doubted if it was anyone besides Harry looking at her face, they would not notice the hurt. It seemed they had a connection even though they just met. Harry also saw a ray of happiness through the mask. Maybe it was because she was lonely, and she finally had someone to talk to. That was how he felt. He realized how easy it was to talk to her. Maybe she felt the same way about him. Maybe. But even if it was only a maybe, it was as though they only needed one look to convey their entire life. And maybe they did.

"Girl-Who-Lived?" Harry whispered. It was more of a statement than anything. Casper nodded slowly, not tearing her gaze away.

"Boy-Who-Lived?" Harry nodded. They did not know each other's stories completely, but in time all of them could be revealed. They knew everything yet nothing about each other. They leaned back against the wall once more and a companionable silence overtook them.

_---_

_This chapter was also very short. I tried to make it longer, I really did, but I'm awful at lengthy chapters. Sorry. _

**R**

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	4. Abuse and Saving Seats

**A/N:** I would say I was sorry for the long wait, but I'm not that sorry. What I am sorry for is the length of this chapter. It's only a thousand and a half words. I need to work on chapter lengths, I think.

Disclaimer: I own you, dawg.

---

After a while, Casper and Harry finally decided to get up and do something, so the first thought was a walk. When they got outside, the warm breeze hit Harry in the face in relief. It was nice to be outside in the fresh, _familiar_ grounds of Hogwarts.

Casper and Harry walked quietly down to the lake, a foot apart. "So, where do you live?" Harry asked randomly. Casper shot Harry a curious look.

"Why?"

"Just curious."

"I've lived in an orphanage since I was four. Where do _you _live?" Casper paused for a moment, then added, "Or, more so, where _did_ you live?"

"Uh, the Dursleys. Do you know who they are here?" Harry assumed since Casper lived in an orphanage, she wouldn't know who they were.

To his surprise, however, she responded, "Unfortunately. I actually lived with them until the orphanage."

Harry's head shot up at these words. "What happened?" If he had had the choice, he would have chosen the orphanage over the Dursleys any day.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Harry shook his head.

"Who do you think I am?" he asked, a little smirk on his face.

She smiled briefly, but then her face darkened. "One day Uncle Vernon had just come home from work, well, his _old_ work. You see, he had gotten fired that day. He was angry, and I guess I was in his way. So he started beating on me. I won't go into the gory details, but I ended up finding my way out and getting to a neighbor. I was sent to the hospital, then to an orphanage."

Harry was quiet for a moment, before he said, "That's awful."

Casper nodded and kicked a stone in front of her. "I still have the scars… from his belt." He heard a sniff, but he was too afraid to look over at her in fear he'd see her crying. "I never did anything, you know? They just didn't like me because of what I was, not who I was. It's not fair." Harry realized she wasn't just talking about Uncle Vernon, but Aunt Petunia and Dudley, too.

Harry looked over at Casper to see her face completely blank. He couldn't see her eyes, as they were cast downward, but he suspected that they were full of hurt and tears.

Harry noticed that they had finally stopped walking, under the shade of a few trees. "Hey…" Harry started, unsure of how to comfort a crying girl. His mind flashed back to Cho, but this was different. Harry didn't have a romantic interest in Casper, Cho was talking about her dead boyfriend that was murdered because of Harry, not about her abuse, and Casper was really him, so it should have been easier to know how to comfort her. It wasn't. He really understood what she had gone through, having had been lashed a few times and knocked around a bit himself, but he didn't know how to convey his feelings into comforting words. He understood how she was deprived of care and how anything she ever did just wasn't enough.

Harry moved a little closer to Casper, and he hesitantly placed a hand on her back. She looked up at Harry with shining eyes. She let out a watery laugh, but it came out as more of a sob. "I'm sorry, Harry; laying all my petty problems on you. Aren't I the one supposed to be helping you?" She hastily wiped her eyes with her hands.

Harry smiled at her sadly. "I know what you went through; don't be sorry about telling me."

She smiled shyly at him, and he was grateful she didn't think he was angry at her. "Let's go inside, it's getting late. And you need to get introduced to everyone. What name are you going by? Or are you going as Harry Potter?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I think I'll keep my first name as Harry. But I need to change my last name to something that doesn't resemble Potter, so people don't question where I came from."

"How about Codack?" Casper suggested.

"The camera?"

"No, Codack, C-o-d-a-c-k."

Harry laughed, "Sure, why not? Harry Codack."

"Okay, let's go!" Casper grabbed Harry's hand, which was on her back, eagerly and pulled him along with her as she ran inside.

---

As Harry was introduced to the entire school by Dumbledore, he felt his face heat up. He hated being put in the center of attention. "…Harry's here as a new student, as he was previously home schooled, and he may no longer be home schooled for certain events have occurred."

Harry and Casper had found the headmaster right after they had run inside and they told him what his name was going to be. They also discussed what house he was in and where he would be sleeping (Gryffindor and the boys' dormitories). They came up with a cover story for where Harry had come from. They could have stuck with the alternate universe one, but that may bring up much unwanted attention to Harry. So they stuck with the story that he was home schooled until his parents got sick and passed away, so he went to Hogwarts to finish his education. Casper was to be with him most of the time, so they decided to tell people Casper was helping him around and showing him the ropes. And, after further inspection to the time, it seemed that this universe was a few months behind his. It was October here, while it was June in his world.

Dumbledore finished his introductions and everyone clapped. Harry went down towards the Gryffindor table and made to sit down by Casper, only to find the seats around her full. He paused for a moment, and was about to move to find another seat, until she looked up and saw him. She looked at him apologetically.

He smiled briefly at her, a little hurt that she didn't save him a seat, but he sat down a ways down from her by some third and sixth years. He quashed down the hurt, feeling childish. It wasn't like he _asked _her to save him a seat.

So he continued through dinner with curious looks thrown at him indiscreetly. He ignored them to the best of his ability, but as soon as the food disappeared, he was up on his feet and rushing out of the Great Hall as quickly as possible without running. He was up a few flights of stairs towards Gryffindor common room, when Casper caught up to him.

"Hey, I'm sorry that I didn't save you a seat. It's just that we always sit in the same place and I forgot that there was an extra person to save a seat for," Casper apologized.

Harry smiled at her, even though he didn't want to, "No problem. I'm easily forgettable."

Casper bit her lip, and he could tell she was really upset with herself – for not saving him a seat of all things. He placed his hands on her shoulders and made sure to make eye contact. "I'm not angry at you, I swear."

She let out a hesitant smile. "Okay, but I'll make sure not to let that happen again."

And with that last statement, they finished their journey to the Gryffindor common room.

---

**A/N**: Okay, so I like writing this story more than any of my other stories. This might mean I'll update this one more than my other ones. Hooray! Please review :)


	5. How Did They Die?

**A/N:** Okay, I know I lost a few readers, so sorry for waiting so long to update last time (half a year, I apologize). Hope you like this chapter! Just a hundred words shy of 2000 (I'm improving on length!)

**_NOTE BEFORE YOU READ!!:_** -_I know some of the events described in this chapter are not accurate to the book or movie. The chain of events in the way things happened are all mixed up, but since this is in an AU, and this is fan fiction, that's why it's that way. Anyways, enjoy!!_

Harry said goodbye to Casper, before parting ways and heading up the staircase to the boys' dormitories. He went up to his room, which was thankfully the same one as the one in his universe, as the plate on its door said _Fifth Years_.

No one was in the room when he entered; which, he figured, was due to the fact that he basically ran from dinner to the common room. He saw where Ron's bed should have been and felt a pang of sadness when he realized he wouldn't see Ron ever again, if for a very long time; at least until he returned to his reality. He located a trunk which was labeled with an H.C. _Dumbledore works fast_, he thought, as he assumed Dumbledore was the one that gave him a trunk.

He opened it, almost expecting to see his invisibility cloak and Marauders Map. But, no, it was full of neatly organized clothes and robes, along with school books and a few quills and ink. And, to Harry's amusement, a fanged Frisbee and a deck of exploding snap lay beneath a few pairs of socks.

"Hey, Harry!" a familiar voice greeted him. He jumped in surprise, and he ended up hitting his trunk, resulting in the top of it smashing his fingers into the case.

"_Damn!_" Harry whispered loudly, biting down on his fingers. "Ah, I mean, Hey, S- Hey," he said rather lamely, turning to see none other than Seamus Finnegan. Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom were also there, rummaging through their trunks. There was another boy with neat, blonde hair that Harry didn't recognize. He was rather tall and muscular, with a handsome, boyish face. He looked nice enough, but by the look he had on his face, Harry could tell he was at least a tad arrogant.

"I'm Seamus Finnegan, that's Dean Thomas, that's Neville Longbottom, and that's Phillip Jones. You best stay away from him, he's trouble."

Phillip glared at Seamus throwing a book at him. Seamus dodged the book easily and laughed. "Shut it, you."

"Well, uh, I guess you already know who I am," Harry responded, thinking it slightly odd to be introduced to three people he had known for five years. The one he hadn't known wasn't so odd to meet.

"Yeah, Dumbledore really knows how to get a person known, I mean, introducing you in front of the whole school? Talk about a ton of attention," Dean rambled on a bit.

"I'm used to it," Harry muttered quietly.

"What was that?" Neville asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing."

"Well, later, Harry. I promised Romilda a game of exploding snap. She said if I played one game with her, she'd finally stop stalking me," Dean bid Harry goodbye.

The others did the same, Neville casting a slightly curious look at Harry. When the room was empty, he leaned against his trunk heavily. This was harder than he thought. He knew them, but they didn't know he knew them. Well, except for the Phillip kid.

He wondered how many other things were different in this universe besides Ron and Hermione being… gone and having a new roommate. And, of course, being a girl.

Harry didn't realize until then how tired he really was. It was only eight o'clock, but Harry was exhausted. _Maybe traveling from universe to universe causes jetlag_. Although Harry wasn't sure if it was like jetlag, since he had never actually traveled outside of the United Kingdom and never experienced it himself.

He quickly changed into a shirt and sweatpants he found in his trunk and lay on his four poster bed, falling asleep in minutes…

---

Harry went downstairs from his dormitory, ready for breakfast and his first day of classes in this universe.

He was halfway down the staircase by the portrait hole when he heard, "Harry—Hey, wait—Harry!" He turned to see Casper running towards him, black hair flying behind her and a bag on her shoulder.

"Hey," she repeated, slightly out of breath, when she finally had caught up.

He half-grinned at her, "Hello." They started walking again.

"So, how did meeting your roommates go?" Casper asked, and then added thoughtfully, "Or, I mean, re-meeting them?"

"Well, I knew everyone besides Phillip," Harry answered. He still thought it unimaginable that all those boys (those boys being Dean, Seamus, and Neville) could be living in this universe, but Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger were dead, gone, not here. "What happened to Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger?" Harry blurted out; he was curious to know what had struck his friends' to lead them to their horrible deaths. The only reason he wasn't sobbing and completely brooding over it, was that the Ron and Hermione he knew were still alive and well (at least, he sincerely hoped they were), and he would most likely (again, he sincerely hoped) see them again.

He looked over at Casper to see that she wasn't there anymore. He turned around and saw her standing a few feet away, her face completely white. "What – what makes you ask?" she said, her voice a few pitches higher than usual.

He slowly walked towards her and made sure she didn't pass out; she looked a little woozy. "I was just wondering. I know that they died in their second year. Professor Dumbledore told me when I was in the hospital wing when I first got here yesterday afternoon."

"Why would he tell you that?" she asked too quickly. He could tell she was tense by the way her chest tightened, the way her shoulders stiffened, and the way her face was tight, white, and fearful. She looked like a deer in headlights.

Harry answered her, even though she looked like she was about to combust. "I was in this fight at the Ministry a few days ago in my universe. My – my godfather died, and my friends were hurt – my friends being Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna. I asked Dumbledore where they were since the last I knew they were in the hospital wing being treated. He didn't know what I was talking about and said that they were murdered in their second year. How?"

Casper seemed to finally get out of her combustible trance, and she looked down. "In your – in your universe – have you heard of the Chamber of Secrets?" she whispered.

Harry's sharp intake of breath was enough to make her go on. "Well, I was best friends with the two of them – Ron and Hermione. Ron's sister was possessed by Tom Riddle. You know who that is?" Casper fearfully looked up at Harry. He nodded sharply, his lips tight, and she continued. "Well, she opened the Chamber and a basilisk was set loose in the castle. Well, students started getting petrified. Hermione almost got petrified herself, by using a mirror to look around corners. The girl with her did – Penelope Clearwater. But she's okay now…" Casper shook her head, as if clearing it.

"Anyways, at the end of my second year, Ginny, I think you mentioned her, she was taken down into the Chamber of Secrets. Well, naturally, being best friends with Ron, we – Ron, Hermione, and I – we entered the Chamber of Secrets along with Professor Lockhart to rescue Ginny. Lockhart tried to erase our memories, but his spell backfired, as he was using Ron's broken wand.

"A few rocks fell down, blocking us from where we came down from. We decided to go on, and we entered the Chamber. There was a pathway leading down to – to a rock formation of Slytherin himself. At the foot of it was – was Ginny. She looked so lifeless, so pale…" Casper sniffed, and Harry patted her shoulder. She looked up at him, teary-eyed. "Oh, I'm so sorry, always crying when I'm around you… and I've only known you for a few hours…"

Harry rubbed her shoulder with his thumb soothingly. "It's okay. Can you finish your story, or should it wait for later?"

Casper sniffed again and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, but she shook her head. "We're already this far, aren't we?" Harry nodded, and he let her compose herself before she continued.

"There she was, lying lifeless on the ground. We ran to her, and we heard a boy speak. We turned to find Tom Riddle. He revealed his true identity to us, Voldemort, and he took our wands. We didn't know what to do when he summoned his massive basilisk, so we did the only thing we could think of – run. We ran through all this piping. Hermione was the first to get caught. It was awful. The basilisk just swallowed her whole…" Casper shuddered.

"Ron and I got out of the pipes, the snake still chasing us. We were so scared… I asked for help in my head and Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, came with the sorting hat. I was desperate, so I shoved the hat on my head. A sword came out of it, and we climbed the Slytherin statue. Ron – Ron slipped and fell off the statue onto the ground and broke his leg. I couldn't make it to him in time to rescue him. His broken leg prevented him from running away. The snake didn't swallow him, as much as just kill him. With both of them dead, I knew there was a slim chance of me making it out alive. I ended up stabbing the snake through its brain, and it died."

"I destroyed Riddle shortly after by stabbing the diary he used to possess Ginny. Fawkes carried me and an unconscious Ginny out of the Chamber. We made it out alive, but Ginny is in a coma, and no one knows when she'll wake up from it." By this time, Casper was thoroughly upset, and Harry was shaken up quite a bit.

"Thank – thank you for telling me that, Casper," Harry said, his voice hoarse and shaking from holding back tears.

Casper nodded, and Harry saw tears dripping down her face, even though she was trying to hide it. "I still have nightmares about it," Casper admitted in a small voice.

Harry looked at the sad form of Casper and knew no other way to comfort her when he felt shitty too other than to hug her. He wrapped his arms around her, and he felt her stiffen in surprise and then relax. She hesitantly returned the hug, wrapping her arms around Harry's back. Harry hadn't received many hugs, but this one felt exceptionally right. It wasn't awkward or forced, like several hugs Harry had received. It was nice. He breathed in her scent, a woodsy, grassy scent. The hug ended too soon as Casper and Harry silently released each other from the hug.

Harry let out a watery laugh. "Look at us, we're a mess."

Casper laughed, too, glad to be off of the upsetting subject of Ron and Hermione.

"How about we just go to the kitchens for breakfast and clean up before classes," Casper suggested.

"Yeah, let's do that." And so, in companionable silence, they marched to the kitchens to get some food.

**Review!!**


	6. An Inky Mess

Casper and Harry made it to Transfiguration just seconds before the bell rang. Professor McGonagall gave them a stern eye, but, since they weren't late, she said nothing. They took their seats quietly. Casper was about to sit next to Phillip, but then seemed to think better of it and led Harry to a table in the very front of the room. Many eyes watched as the pair sat down.

McGonagall cleared her throat and began a lecture on the importance of turning a hedgehog into an apple. Harry zoned out a bit, bored because he had already learned the stuff. Instead of taking notes, he angled his body to the side so he could pretend to listen as well as glance around the room to see which Slytherins existed in this universe.

Draco Malfoy was there, of course, who kept casting curious glares (if glares could be curious) at Harry. Parkinson, Greengrass, Crabbe, Zabini, and Bulstrode were also there, but no Goyle. There was also a surly-looking girl who had medium-length auburn hair. She was wearing the Slytherin tie, but Harry did not recognize her.

He scanned his half of the room as best he could without being obvious and turning around. There was another Gryffindor that Harry had never seen. She was fairly tall and thin (from what Harry could tell without her standing up) with straight, dirty blonde hair. Her nose was long but small, and her eyes were a vibrant sky blue. She was easily one of the most attractive girls Harry had ever seen. She looked up at Harry as though she sensed he was looking at her. He casually looked away from her gaze, acting as though his eyes were just looking at her in passing, not actually observing. His stomach squirmed uncomfortably when he noticed that she was staring at him from the corner of his eye. And although he wasn't looking directly at her, he felt her gaze penetrate through him as though she were looking at something… well, however she was looking at him, it was unnerving. Harry shuddered slightly involuntarily and turned his body completely to the front.

Harry felt as though her eyes were on his back the entire lesson, making him squirm occasionally, self-conscience of his actions. He didn't know if that was the case, he could just be being paranoid, but he still felt uncomfortable and a bit exposed.

McGonagall, who seemed to notice Harry was staring off into space, barked, "Mr. Codack!"

Harry jumped, startled, and ended knocking over Casper's ink bottle, spilling it all over the table, and, consequently, on Casper's two pages of notes.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Casper!" Harry apologized profusely. Casper looked a little shocked, but let out a tight, forced smile nonetheless.

"Mr. Codack, ten points from Gryffindor for not paying attention and destroying another classmate's materials," McGonagall scolded Harry. "Miss Potter, I suggest you borrow notes from another student. And as for you, Mr. Codack, you are on thin ice." With that, McGonagall brandished her wand and vanished the mess along with Casper's inky notes. She turned back to the lesson, a little more flustered than she was before.

'Sorry,' Harry mouthed to Casper. He felt dreadful for ruining her hard work she did, while he just sat there not listening.

She shrugged and rolled her eyes as if to say, 'Whatever, it's not the end of the world.' Harry wasn't completely convinced, and Casper seemed to sense that, so she rubbed his leg reassuringly under the table, giving him an amused smile.

Harry returned the smile a little guiltily, and for the rest of the lesson he attempted to pay attention to McGonagall, but he couldn't forget the feeling of the slight fluttering he had felt in his stomach as Casper reassured him.

The lesson ended within fifteen minutes of the scolding, and Harry and Casper stood up. They were the last to leave since they were at the front of the room. When they got out in the corridor, Harry gushed, "I am so sorry about spilling ink all over your notes, Casper!"

Casper laughed, "It's okay, Harry, I swear. I'm not angry. I'll get notes from Patricia or Phillip or something. You obviously didn't take any."

"Hey! I'll have you know I already went through my O.W.L.s a few days ago where I come from, and I am now an N.E.W.T student. I don't need notes anymore!" Harry argued teasingly. The corridors were busy, so Harry and Casper had to make sure not to say something suspicious like 'In the other universe.'

"Really?" Casper asked, curious. "How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen in about a month and a half," Harry replied. "So, as I am about eight months older and wiser than you, I can make decisions on when and when not to take notes."

"Ah, well I'm glad I have someone as old and wise as you to look after me," Casper responded sarcastically.

"I try."

"I'm sure."

They smiled at each other, looking away quickly. "So, um, some of the people here are different than where I come from," Harry mentioned.

"Who do you know and who do you not know?"

"Well, in Slytherin, I know everyone except that surly girl with auburn hair…"

"That's Francine Hagg, and who wouldn't be surly with a name like that?"

"Fair point. And then there was a Slytherin that wasn't there. Gregory Goyle? You know him?"

"Ah, how could I forget. He had to drop out in third year because he was failing everything. That, or he might have got expelled for beating kids up; I suspect that the failing thing was just a cover up."

"I believe that. And in Gryffindor, Phillip didn't exist in my – where I come from, and that blonde, skinny girl, who's kind of creepy…"

At that last comment, Casper let out a laugh. "That's Patricia. She's an aura detector. She can, well, detect auras of living things. See if they're good or bad, strong or weak, that kind of thing. And yes, she is a little creepy, but once you get used to her she's really nice."

"Interesting."

"Indeed."

And with that last comment, they continued on their way to the dungeons for Harry's first potions lesson of this universe.

**A/N: Yeah, it's short. Yeah, it's not great. But I had to do this chapter to introduce some more characters and stuff. Patricia and Phillip are gonna be a pretty big part of this story, because I like them :) Please review.**


	7. Aurawhat?

**_A/N: _So I'm totally gonna stop caring on making my chapters uber-long, cause I've come to the conclusion that that isn't physically possible for me to do. So VOILA! Enjoy it!**

_He gazed down at his whimpering servant from his tall stance in disgust. He had told him very interesting news, indeed he had. Potter had disappeared. The Wizarding World had yet to discover, but, from what his servant had told him, Potter's_ _little friends were greatly distressed. They thought _he _had taken them. _Ha, _Voldemort thought evilly, _If I had the brat, he would be stone dead by now.

_He wished he _did_ have the brat. It would save him much trouble to deal with later on. He could sense the brat was alive through their connection, yet barely, and he could not tell where he resided or if he was well. He hoped the annoying boy was somewhere dreadful and felt exactly like his surroundings._

"_Go tell the rest of my servants it is time to initiate the raid," Voldemort ordered the small man coldly. When the man mumbled something and whimpered a little more piteously, Voldemort shouted, "Now!" The man scurried out franticly, obviously fearful._

_Voldemort sank into his large, cold throne, thoughtful. Where was Harry Potter?_

--

Harry woke up in a cold sweat. He'd had a dream about Voldemort again, although less terrifying than most he'd had. If it had been really bad, Harry would be screaming and throwing up by now. But, then again, it was _Voldemort_ so he was always terrifying.

The dorm room was dark, it was still night, and four other boys still peacefully slumbered around Harry. According to Phillip's clock, which was a side-table away as Harry had yet to acquire one, it was five o'clock. Harry sighed quietly and turned his head away from the clock to gaze at the blurry ceiling of his four-poster bed. He rested his hands on his stomach.

For the first time since Harry had been here, he was homesick. His dream had told him what was happening in his universe, through his connection with Voldemort. His friends had no idea where he was. The thought made him very sad. Would he ever get home?

No, Harry thought, he shouldn't question things like that, because he _would_ go home. He just needed Casper's help. With what, he didn't know, but apparently that was why he was here. He needed help, and his counterpart had to fulfill that role.

Harry knew he wouldn't get anymore sleep. He was too worked up. But he closed his eyes and tried to block all thoughts from his mind anyways. It was times like these that he wished he had tried a little harder at Snape's Occlumency lessons the previous year.

--

Casper stared up at the ceiling of her four-poster bed. It was five in the morning, but she had woken up and just couldn't stop thinking about Harry.

From the few days she had known him, she was already more comfortable around him than she had been since Ron and Hermione were around. She almost felt more comfortable around him _than_ Ron and Hermione. At least, it felt like she had a special connection with him. She could get used to having him around, and she hoped it was a while until he would be sent back to his own world.

It was selfish, she knew. But Harry understood everything. He understood what she went through at the Dursleys, if to a little lesser extent. He understood her pain over Ron and Hermione. He just…

It seemed rather surreal, having this wonderful boy appear claiming to be her in another place, having an instant connection with him… Casper was already infatuated with him and it had only been two days. What would it turn into over the next few weeks?

And, although Casper was absolutely thrilled to have him here, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He had his own life in his own world. He belongs there. He belongs there along with his Ron and Hermione and his Dumbledore and his friends and family.

Casper had to accept that, because she could sense Harry wasn't entirely happy here. He wanted to go back. She had to help him in order for him to go back, and she intended to use all her power to do just that.

--

Harry and Casper sat at breakfast a few days later next to each other. Phillip and Patricia sat across from them. They had become Casper's new friends when Ron and Hermione died. Once Harry had gotten over Phillip's cocky attitude and Patricia's calculating gaze, he actually started to like them. Phillip was funny and reminded him of Ron plus confidence and minus eating habits and chess skills. Patricia was completely normal to talk to, and was quite kind, but when she looked at Harry he felt like he was being x-rayed.

As such, it was this morning that Patricia voiced anything remotely odd. "Your aura is puzzling, Harry."

Harry looked up at her, surprised, but it was Casper that spoke up. "What d'you mean?"

"Well, everyone has their own unique aura. They have their own shine, their own glow, their own color, their own sense… but you… you confuse me," Patricia tried to explain. She cocked her blonde head to the side, staring from Casper to Harry.

It was at this point that Phillip joined in. "Why, Patty? What's wrong with him?" Patricia's gaze never wavered as a slight blush hinted her pale cheeks at Phillip's nickname, but Patricia hesitated in answering his questions. She observed Harry and Casper for a few more seconds, causing the duo to glance at each other in confusion, and then back onto Patricia. Harry wasn't sure what to think of Patricia's calculations.

Patricia's voice was cautious and slow as she spoke, "It seems to me, Harry, that you and Casper are very similar in auras." Harry glanced at Casper again to see her reaction, while he himself had his heart racing a little. Casper was sitting stone still and staring at Patricia with an absolutely blank face. Patricia continued, "You have the same shine. You have the same glow. You have the same color. You have the same sense. The only thing different is the difference in size. Yours is larger, Harry, while yours is smaller, Casper. This is normally due to the size of the person involved or the age. Auras grow as people grow. Auras grow as people age. People's power grows within them as they get older, so their auras reflect that." She let her words sink into the three students listening.

Harry's pulse was racing as he stared at Patricia, who was still staring at him with those slanted, blue eyes. She would find out his secret. She would know Casper and him were the same, if she had not already discovered it. He needed to leave.

Harry broke his gaze, stood up suddenly, slung his bag on his shoulder, and muttered, "I'll see you in a bit," to the three Gryffindors. He needed to think.

He had only made it a few steps into the nearest hallway from the Great Hall when Casper caught up to him. "Harr-"

"She _knows_, Casper," Harry nearly whined. He turned around to face her fully. "She knows we're the same person."

"Hush, Harry," Casper shushed him with a quick press of her fingers to his lips. His mouth tingled. She released her fingers. "Only she and Phillip need to know. No one else, so don't go screaming it!"

Harry, shrugging off her scolding, defended, "Okay, okay, fine… what did you say to them after I left?"

Casper half-heartedly glared at him. "Well, after you _stomped-out_ I said, 'Sorry about that guys, we'll talk later.' Then I came chasing after you."

Harry had the decency to look abashed. When Casper didn't budge, he put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm _sorry_, but I just had to get out of there," Harry apologized.

Casper sighed, not able to stay angry at Harry any longer. "Fine, but now what are we going to do about Phillip and Patricia?"

"Well, we need to tell them of course, or they could go blabbing to who-knows telling them our auras are all messed up."

"Okay, first of all, Patricia and Phillip wouldn't do that, and second, we need a place that's secret enough to tell them."

Harry grinned. "I know just the place."

**_A/N:_ Sooooooooooooo my excuse for not writing a new chapter until now is that I've been INSANE busy. I don't even understand how my schedule got the effed up. **

**REASONS:**

**1.) I signed up for track, which consumed half of my after-school life **

**2.) Then the teachers decided to go all wonky and assign us TONS of time-consuming homework**

**3.) I had to take showers and eat, so most nights I stayed up until 10:30 doing all of those crazy activities. **

**4.) I had a week where I had to go to New Mexico to attend my uncle's wedding (they had singing mexican men playing guitars and trumpets for their music! it was sweet!). **

**5.) I have the complete bitch of a teacher that is out to get us 'cause his daughter has an iron deficiency disease (I mean, I feel bad for her and I wouldn't wish what she has on anyone ever, but her dad takes it out on his students by grading us like an unfair mofo he is and screwing our GPAS up so I can't get above a 4.0 because his class isn't even honors). I normally get great grades, but this man will not give me an A to save his life and he teaches us nothing, so I was busy working my ass off in that class and just getting by with a B+ which I would have an A if he graded our essays and tests correctly. And I failed the exam so i most likely have a C now. Sooooo when he broke his leg I was really happy, and so was everyone else :D God, I fucking hope I don't have to EVER deal with him again. I cried at least 4 times in that class cause he makes me so upset. I never cried in school except for his class.**

**6.)Okay, then when school got out my sister graduated and I was in commencement band so I had to deal with all of those shenanigans.**

**7.) I have swimteam.**

**8.) I was working on a different writing project. **

**9.) I have a social life.**

**AND REVIEW!!**


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